MTA rejects proposed series of raises for LIRR workers, maintaining possibility of a summer strike
By Pete Donohue / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
The Long Island Railroad rolled closer to a possible summer strike Wednesday when transit executives rejected a proposed series of raises for workers.
MTA Labor Relations Director Anita Miller notified the National Mediation Board that the authority would not enact a contract settlement for the commuter railroad that was crafted by an independent panel. The move prompted an angry response from a top union leader representing LIRR workers, who have labored without a contract since 2010.
“If a strike occurs, it’s the sole responsibility of the MTA for being unwilling to accept the results,” said Anthony Simon, general chairman of the Unite. Transportation Union. “It’s not a matter of them being unable to pay. It’s a matter of them not wanting to pay.”
Simon’s union is one of eight representing LIRR workers that are involved in the labor showdown with MTA brass.
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